2016 NFL Draft: The Preview

“NFL Commissioner opens the 2014 NFL Draft from New York. The draft will take place live from Chicago for the second straight year on April 28. – Thursday, May 8, 2014 (USA TODAY Sports)”

Caleb Bailey, Sports Editor

In just a week’s time, more than 250 aspiring professional athletes will have their dreams come true when their names are called at the 2016 NFL Draft. Every year, the draft provides with some of the most exciting storylines to lead the NFL into the summer and this draft is sure to be no different.

The draft already has many storylines surrounding it with none being bigger than the Los Angeles Rams giving up six future picks to the Tennessee Titans to move up into the number one overall spot. This move was seemingly so they can get their man at quarterback in either Cal’s Jared Goff or North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.

For the rest of the first round, it is pretty easy to look at teams and see where they need to focus much of their attention. Much of the first round will be dominated by defensive players as teams must focus on building their pass rush or their defensive back corps.

Players like Jalen Ramsey, Joey Bosa, Myles Jack, and Vernon Hargreaves III have the chance to make huge impacts almost immediately in their rookie seasons. For these players, it is hard to ignore what they have done to help their draft stock.

For Ramsey, coming out of Florida State is going to be the biggest reason why he is able to earn a starting job as soon as he gets drafted. He is a cornerback that knows he can play just about any position on the defensive side of the ball.

Hargreaves comes out of Ramsey’s biggest rival, Florida, which is widely known as “Defensive Back University.” He should end up being a big player in the NFL as he is able to move all over the field as a cornerback.

For Bosa, he had one of the more impressive careers coming out of Ohio State. He racked up 26 sacks and 51 tackles for loss, showing that he is one of the better players to play the defensive end position.

When it comes to the linebacker position, Jack is the fastest after playing running back during his time at UCLA. Scouts have some concerns about his knee after he tore his ACL last season, but he has also shown great progress in getting back to full health.

The 2016 NFL Draft is just a week away and it is going to be one of the best times in the sports world, outside of the actual start of the season. Fans can catch the first round on both ESPN and NFL Network at 8 p.m. on April 28 with the rest of the draft happening through April 30.